What I learned that season is that it actually becomes easier towards the end of so many games because you start to get to where the team structure takes you through

Birmingham boss Chris Hughton

Blues face their 51st game of an epic campaign at Portsmouth tomorrow and if they reach the Championship play-off final will end up playing 63 matches.

But boss Hughton insists tiredness will not be an issue because of lessons he learned as a Spurs player 30 years ago.

He figured in all but five of 65 matches Spurs faced in 1982 and only Steve Perryman played more.

He said: “What I learned that season is that it actually becomes easier towards the end of so many games because you start to get to where the team structure takes you through.

“It was only possible to play one more game than we did that year – we got to the League Cup final, won the FA Cup after that final went to a replay, and went to the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup.

“And in those days there was only one substitute and you didn’t have squad rotation either.

“By the end of the season it was just repetition.”

Birmingham brushed aside Boro to go back into the play-off places. Nikola Zigic scored from an early header, and Marlon King’s second-half goal was followed by a great solo effort from Keith Fahey.

Hughton added: “You have to have quality in the team but the structure gets you through in this situation.

“By this time we aim to make sure everybody knows their job, and that’s just like ’82 and that experience helps.”

Early season leaders Boro are in danger of slipping up, and defender Tony McMahon admitted: “There were some words exchanged in the dressing room afterwards and we made some points about what we needed to do.